Some States Petition to Re-Open National Parks During Government Shutdown

When the government shut its doors, the national parks closed down with it, which means that no one can see the Statue of Liberty, check out the presidents at Mount Rushmore or visit Delicate Arch in Utah (no one except oil and gas companies, that is). But a few state governors decided not to take the situation sitting down. Governors from New York, Utah, Colorado and others have petitioned the Obama administration to open their national parks during the federal government shutdown on the condition that each state will foot its own bill.

October is one of the busiest months for tourism in many parts of the U.S. and the prospect of losing tourism to the shutdown prompted governors to act. Utah, Colorado and New York have already re-opened parks, while other states like Arizona and South Dakota are considering doing the same. Wyoming, on the other hand, has decided that it will not spend the money to reopen park doors.

The federal government will still maintain control over the parks and the parks will likely only be open for a week or so, regardless of whether the shutdown is resolved. Although there is a potential deal for the federal government to eventually reimburse the states for their expenses, right now they are expected to cover the entire cost, which could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars for each state.